the garrifon, but was repulfed with lofs, by colonel Cruger, the governor, and retired with his army behind the Saluda. Being advifed by divers of his officers, on this misfortune, to retreat back to Virginia, he replied with true military enthusiasm, "I will recover the country, or die in the attempt. Thus, in fituations where feeble minds droop and languish, the ardor of genius burns with redoubled luftre. No fooner was the British army divided and weakened by the feveral detachments neceffary to occupy their former pofts, than general Green again croffed the Saluda in force. Lord Rawdon, furprifed and unprepared for action, retired to Orangeburg; and the important poft of Ninety-fix, fo gallantly defended, was now evacuated. The garrifon joining lord Rawdon, with other troops drawn from the advanced posts, general Green took a strong pofition on the high hills of Santee, whence he detached different parties to intercept the convoys and beat up the quarters of the English between Orangeburg and Charlestown.

The British, now under the command of colonel Stuart, having advanced to the point of junction between the Waterce and Congaree, in order to cover the country to the fouth and fouth-east of thofe rivers, general Green paffed the Congaree with a view to inclofe the British

army

army in its prefent infulated fituation, or compel them to retreat towards Charlestown. Colonel Stuart immediately fell back forty miles, to a place called Eutaw Springs, where he took an advantageous position, his right extending to the Eutaw, and his left to a rifing ground which was occupied by a corps de referve. General Green, with the American army, advanced, September 8, 1781, to the attack with the greatest resolution. The Virginian and Maryland continentals charged the left wing of the British with trailed arms through a heavy cannonade and shower of mufquetry, and bore down all before them. The American cavalry, at the fame time, turned the left flank of the British, and attacked them in the rear. The whole army gave way in great confufion; but in their retreat, gaining an open field, they were, with much addrefs, rallied by colonel Stuart, and formed again under protection of an effective and well-directed fire from a large and moated house, which ferved them in the stead of a redoubt; and from whence the Americans, after repeated efforts, were not able to dislodge them. And the right wing of the British preffing on the left flank of the Americans, general Green thought proper to order a retreat, leaving four pieces of artillery in the hands of the British, two of which had been taken by the Americans in

the

the early part of the engagement. The English were in no condition to purfue, and general Green carried off with him all his wounded and feveral hundred prifoners. Alfo about five hundred men were killed and wounded on the part of the British, by the acccunt of colonel Stuart, in this well-contested battle, in which the officers on each fide fought hand to hand, and fword to fword. The lofs of the Americans in all these respects was much inferior; but as colonel Stuart was left in poffeffion of the field and several pieces of cannon, he claimed, agreeably to military etiquette, the honor of the victory; but he might well exclaim with the monarch of Epirus, "Such another victory, and I am undone !"

In the evening of the next day he abandoned the Eutaw, and moved towards Charlestown, after deftroying a great part of his stores, leaving behind him many of his wounded, and about a thousand stand of arms. This engagement was decifive of the fate of the war in the fouthern colonies the British not being able from this time to appear in the open field, and scarcely could they maintain their posts in the vicinity of Charlestown and Savannah; and in the course of the next year thofe towns were finally evacuated.

The military talents of general Green appear

in

in a moft ftriking point of view, on the recollection that, notwithstanding a fucceffion of what in military language must be ftyled defeats, he finally effected his object, by recovering both the Carolinas in the space of less than twelve months. At Guildford, at Camden, at Ninetyfix, at the Eutaw Springs, the British commanders claimed the honors of the field, but the Americans reaped all the profit of these engagements. The plans of the American general were fo happily concerted, his movements fo judiciously timed, his vigilance fo unwearied, his firmness and perfeverance so heroic, that he might be regarded as the controller rather than the favorite of fortune;-and his measures were taken with fuch fuperior fagacity, that they not only merited but, in a certain fenfe, commanded fuccefs.

Lord Cornwallis, to whofe operations it is now necessary to revert, on the march of general Green's army to the fouthward, found himfelf reduced to a perplexing dilemma-either to abandon the Carolinas to their fate, or facrifice his hopes of future conquefts, and entirely dif appoint the high and fanguine expectations, which he knew to be formed in England, of the refult of the prefent campaign. His pride at length overbalancing his prudence, he determined to profecute his march to Virginia. ́

The

The Roanoke, the Meherrin, and the Nottaway rivers were fucceffively croffed by the British army with trifling oppofition; and on the 20th of May his lordship arrived at Petersburg, where he was joined by the powerful detachment recently conducted thither by generals Arnold and Philips. The force under his lordship's command was now very formidable; and the marquis de la Fayette, who was at the head of the troops collected for the defence of the province, was compelled to keep a guarded distance, and conducted himfelf with fo much judgment, that no confiderable advantage could be obtained against him. From Petersburg lord Cornwallis advanced to James River, which he croffed at Weft Town; and thence marching through Hanover County, croffed the South Anna or Pamunky river, whence by a rapid movement colonel Tarleton had nearly furprised the affembly of Virginia, now fitting at Charlotte-ville.

Various expeditions were undertaken to different parts of the province, with uniform fuccefs; and lord Cornwallis, by a well-concerted manœuvre, having taken a pofition between the American army and its grand dépôt of stores at Albemarle Court - houfe, could not avoid exulting in his fuperiority. Knowing that the marquis de la Fayette was on his march to prevent that important capture, and believing that

VOL. III.

R

he